Musculoskeletal ultrasound screening and ultrasound-guided injection

Contents
  • What is diagnostic ultrasound?
  • Benefits of diagnostic ultrasound
  • What can diagnostic ultrasound diagnose?
  • Diagnostic ultrasound compared with other technologies Treatment with musculoskeletal ultrasound
  • Pain treatment without relying on medication or surgery at Rehab Care Clinic

What is diagnostic ultrasound?

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (diagnostic ultrasound) is a technology that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of structures inside the body, such as muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. It helps diagnose problems and injuries of the musculoskeletal system, and also lets the doctor see the body’s structures while giving an injection.

 

Benefits of diagnostic ultrasound

1. Accurate diagnosis of injuries 

  • Detects tendinitis or tendon tears 
  • Assesses arthritis and the condition of the cartilage
  • Detects abnormal masses, fluid-filled sacs or cysts in the tissue 

2. Real-time imaging 

  • Shows the movement of muscles and joints while the patient moves 
  • Used to detect abnormalities that occur in specific postures or activities 

3. No radiation 

  • Unlike CT scans or X-rays, which use radiation, ultrasound uses sound waves that are harmless to the body 
  • Suitable for all ages, including pregnant women and children 

4. Used to guide treatment (guided injection & therapy) 

  • Guides the needle for more accurate and safer treatment, for example steroid injections into a joint or tendon 
  • Reduces the risk of injecting in the wrong place

A rehabilitation physician using ultrasound to examine the muscles, tendons, bursae and joint of the knee at Rehab Care Clinic

 

What can diagnostic ultrasound diagnose?

1. Muscles: detects inflammation, tears or abscesses 
2. Tendons: detects tendinitis, for example of the shoulder, elbow or knee tendons, plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis 
3. Joints: detects inflammatory fluid in the joint, to assess whether knee swelling is due to fluid or osteoarthritis and how much calcification is present 
4. Nerves: detects nerve compression, such as carpal tunnel syndrome 
5. Some bones: detects small bone spurs or deformities

Diagnostic ultrasound compared with other technologies

Technology

Advantages

Limitations

Best for

Ultrasound Diagnostic
  • No radiation and lower risk to the body, so there are no contraindications to the scan
  • Real-time imaging
  • Quick comparison with the other side of the body
  • Shows soft tissue, tendons, ligaments and nerves more clearly than X-rays
  • Can be repeated more often than other types of scan
  • Portable and easy to use
  • Considerably cheaper than other methods
  • Image quality may not be as clear as MRI
  • Cannot examine bone
  • Injuries to tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints and nerves
  • People who exercise or play sports
  • Guiding therapeutic injections for accurate and safer treatment
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
  • High-resolution images with good soft-tissue detail
  • Detailed imaging of tendons, ligaments, muscles and cartilage
  • High cost
  • Time-consuming (30–60 minutes)
  • Not suitable for people with metal in their body
  • Herniated discs compressing nerves, ruptured tendons or ligaments, arthritis
X-ray
  • Clearly detects fractures
  • Low cost
  • Cannot examine soft tissue, tendons, ligaments or muscles
  • Uses radiation
  • Fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis
CT Scan (Computed Tomography)
  • Clearly shows bone structures and internal organs; faster than MRI
  • Suitable for severe injuries
  • Uses a high dose of radiation
  • More expensive than X-ray
  • Not suitable for detailed soft-tissue imaging
  • Fine fractures, internal bleeding, bone cancer

Musculoskeletal ultrasound is an accurate and convenient technology that is well suited to diagnosing problems with muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments, helping doctors make effective treatment decisions.

A rehabilitation physician using ultrasound to examine the muscles, tendons, bursae and joint of the knee at Rehab Care Clinic

Treatment with musculoskeletal ultrasound

At Rehab Care Clinic, we use diagnostic ultrasound for diagnosis and to guide injections, such as hyaluronic acid injections, directing the needle precisely to the problem area so that treatment is effective and safe. If you are looking for assessment and treatment for muscle or joint problems, do not wait until they become chronic. At Rehab Care Clinic, our rehabilitation physicians and team of physical therapists are ready to take care of you.

Pain treatment without drugs or surgery at Rehab Care Clinic

Pain treatment without drugs or surgery
at Rehab Care Clinic

Rehab Care Clinic is a specialist rehabilitation medicine and physical therapy clinic dedicated to high-quality, high-standard care, helping you to a stronger body and a better quality of life.

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Reference:
  • Jacobson, J. A. (2018). Fundamentals of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound. Elsevier Health Sciences. 
  • Bianchi, S., & Martinoli, C. (2007). Ultrasound of the Musculoskeletal System. Springer. 
  • European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR). (2022). Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Guidelines. Retrieved from www.essr.org 
  • American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM). (2023). Practice Parameter for the Performance of a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Examination. Retrieved from www.aium.org 
  • RadiologyInfo.org. (2024). CT Scan vs. MRI vs. Ultrasound: Which One is Right for You?. Retrieved from www.radiologyinfo.org